Medical Health Encyclopedia

Calorie terms:

• Low-calorie
  • 40 calories or less per serving
• Reduced-calorie
  • At least 25% fewer calories per serving when compared with a similar food
• Light, Lite
  • One-third fewer calories or 50% less fat per serving; if more than half the calories are from fat, fat content must be reduced by 50% or more

• Sugar-free
  • Less than 1/2 gram sugar per serving
• Reduced sugar
  • At least 25% less sugar per serving when compared with a similar food.

• Fat-free
  • Less than 1/2 gram fat per serving
• 100% fat free
  • Meets requirements for fat free
• Low-fat
  • 3 grams or less per serving
• Reduced-fat
  • At least 25% less fat when compared with a similar food

Cholesterol terms:

• Cholesterol-free
  • Less than 2 milligrams cholesterol per serving and 2 grams or less saturated fat per serving.
• Low-Cholesterol
  • 20 milligrams or less cholesterol per serving and 2 grams or less saturated fat per serving

Sodium terms:

• Sodium-free
  • Less than 5 milligrams sodium per serving
• Salt-free
  • Meets requirements for sodium-free

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HEALTH CLAIMS

For the first time, you will see FDA approved and regulated health claim phrases. A health claim is a food label message that describes the relationship between a food or food component, such as fat, calcium, or fiber, and a disease or health-related condition.

The government has authorized health claims for 7 diet and health relationships that are backed by extensive scientific evidence.

1. Calcium and osteoporosis

2. Fiber-containing grain products, fruits, vegetables and cancer

3. Fruits, vegetables, and cancer

4. Fruits, vegetables, and grain products that contain fiber and coronary heart disease

5. Fat and cancer

6. Saturated fat and cholesterol and coronary heart disease

7. Sodium and hypertension

An example of a valid health claim you may see on a high-fiber cereal product food label would be: "Many factors affect cancer risk; eating a diet low in fat and high in fiber may lower the risk of this disease."